Conveyer for excavating.



N0. 843,239. PATENTED FEB..5, 1907.

I. J. SMITH,

GONVEYER FOR EXGAVATING.

APPLIOATION'IILED 00T.18, 1908.

-z snsmswnn m 1-.

Summon MRQM witnmza PETER: cm, WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 8435239. PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907. I. J. SMITH.

GONVEYER FOR BXGAVATING. APPLICATION FILED 0011s, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J anoenlo'c 13 m woes THE NORRIS PETERS co.. wnsmycrolv, uv c.

so constructed and arranged that the exca- 2 rrnrrnn s rarns PATENT orrrren IRVING J. SMITH, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CONVEYER FOR EXCAVATING- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Aoplication filed. October 16,1906. Serial No. 339 205.

a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a side elevation in detail of the traveling derrick, and Fig. i a vertical sectional view of the same.

The object of this invention is to provide extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus for excavating trenches, the apparatus being vated dirt may be carried back from the point of excavation and dumped into a cart for transportation away or be dumped back upon the finished part of the sewer or other structure laid in the trench.

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the parts and combina tion of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which the same reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings by letters, a designates a pair of rails temporarily laid on the 1 may be (lumped back upon the completed ground, one at each side of the trench, these rails extending beyond the trench at both ends. Mounted on the track and adapted to travel back and forth upon the same is a frame or derrick compose d of the four corner legs or beams I), each of which carries at its lower end a roller 0, which runs upon one of the rails. The rollers are each provided with two flanges, and its tread surface is considerably wider than the tread of the rail. The

object of thus providing the rollers with double flanges and making the bearing por by a pair of horizontal top beams cl, suitably I spaced apart for the reception and protection of a pair of pulleys e. Crossed side bracesf connect the corner-posts at each side of the frame, and horizontal beams or bars 9 connect the corner-posts across the ends of the frame, these cross-bars affording a support for suitable platform-boards It for the support of an attendant.

The hoisting-bucket t is of any approved pattern, and adapted for connection to its bail is a depending hook carried at the end of the hoisting-rcpe 7r, which rope passes up over the central pulley e and down under the other pulley e and then downward and forward to the drum of the engine 1. Just above the hook j on the rope It' is affixed a stop m, which is adapted to abut against the under side of the beams (if when the load is lifted to its highest point. Another rope it runs from a drum of the engine to the left side of the derrick, where it passes over a pulley-block 0, and thence to and around the dead-block pulley 79, fixed to the ground at a point beyond the forward end of the trench. From this dead pulley p the rope n runs back and is fixed stationarily to the derrick at g.

It will be observed that when the filled bucket is hoisted out of the trench through the hoisting-rope 7c the hoisting-rope will -first lift the bucket until the stop-block m abuts against the top beams of the derrick, and then further pulling upon the hoisting-rope pulls the derrick along the tracks toward the engine to the .point of dumping. The earth part of the sewer, or it may be dumped into carts which may be backed or driven into a position in line with the travel of the bucket. 'l he arrangement of the ropes 7t and n is such as not to interfere with the proper placing of the carts or wagons, the rope is being above the vehicles and the rope n being carried over to the left side of the apparatus far enough to be out of the way of the teams. It will be observed that the cross-bars g are arranged high up on the posts of the derrick,

, so that the derrick can readily pass over and l I i i more particularly in dotted lines in Fig.

be caused to straddle the cart, as shown After the load is dumped the engine is operated so as to pull on rope n and pay out rope 7c, and the derrick will then be drawn back to the point of loading. In this manner it will be observed that the excavation of the dirt will be accomplished with great expedi- ICC trench, Where the earth that is to be hauled away may be dumped directly into them.

To release the combined hoisting and pulling rope 7c from the strain of the load after the 'load'i's lifted out of the trench, and there by contribute to safety in operation, I employ a supplemental hook 1", which depends from the top cross-beams of the derrick and is so positioned that it may be engaged in the bail of the hoisting-bucket to take off the strain of the load entirely from the hoistingrope, so that this rope shall not have on it the combined strain of lifting the loaded bucket and drawing the derrick to the dumping-point. It will be observed also that the hoisting and pull ropes are so arranged as to be out of the Way of the WOIklilGQ who are "at work in the trench and also that the derrick is so constructed that it may be hauled back and forth noon the tracks without interferin with or injuring any of the work- 111611 along the trench, this being accomplished by locatin the cross connecting-bars 'g at a point high up upon the corner-posts of the derrick-frame.

By arrangin the side braces f in the manner shown it "will be observed that the sides 'of the derrick are open and unobstructed, thereby permitting the workmen to have free'access to'the trench at both sides during the loading of the bucket.

I have shown an engine with two drums; but it is obvious that I may use any other mechanism or engine for operating the hoisting and pull ropes. It is also obvious that instead of employing the simple hoistin bucket shown I may employ a scraper-bucket and attach the same to the hoisting-hook j,

so that the mere act of hoisting the scraper will cause the same to be filled in a manner well known.

Another feature of importance lies in the peculiar manner of constructing the derrickframe, whereby is given a considerable re silience, thereby enabling it to adjust itself to compensate for considerable inequalities and unevenness in laying the tracks, thus avoiding the necessity of any great care in laying the rails. This yielding capacity in the derrick-frame is obtained by using a four-post frame and connectin the posts together at points high up from the ground.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for excavating trenches, rails laid alongside the trenches, a derrick or hoisting frame adapted to travel on the rails, an engine located beyond one end of the trench, a combined hoisting and pull rope is extending from a drum of the engine to the top of the derrick and provided with a hoisting-hook and a stop, a hoisting-bucket carried by said hook, a stationary or dead pulley at the far end of the trench, a pulley on the derrick at one side of the center thereof, and another pull-rope 7 extending from the drum of the engine forward over the pulley at the side of thederrick and forward to the dead pulley and back again to the derrick where it is attached, substantially asset forth.

2. In an apparatus for excavating trenches, rails laid alongside the trenches, a derrick or hoistin frame adapted to travel on the rails,

an engine located beyond one end of the trench, a combined hoisting and pull rope 7:? extending from a drum of the engine to the top of the derrick and provided with a hoisting-hook and a stop, ahoisting-bucket carried by said hook, a stationary or dead pulley at the far end of the trench, a pulley on the derrick, and another pull-rope n extending from the drum of the engine forward over the pulley on the derrick and forward to the dead pulley and back again to the derrick where it is attached, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 13th day of October, 1906.

IRVING J. SMITH.

Witnesses C. G. BURTON, Vii. P. REDD. 

